ASSESSING THE LEGAL PROVISIONS FOR TELEMEDICINE IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

This article analyses the legal and institutional systems determining telemedicine in Nigeria and determines potential areas of implementation of the system along with its obstacles. It explores how the existing legislation is supporting the distant provision of healthcare services, including the realms of patient confidentiality, provider licensure, medical malpractice, and technological integration. This is a doctrinal research that examines the constitutional provisions, specific acts to the sector like the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023, the National Health Act 2014, and the Evidence Act 2011. Results indicate that there is high regulatory fragmentation and the absence of telemedicine-specific legislation, which results in no homogeneity of data protection, ambiguity of professional standards, and issues of licensure Nevertheless, telemedicine is one of the most effective mechanisms of enhancing access to healthcare, especially in underserved areas. This article comes up with the conclusion that Nigeria has to introduce the specific legislation to fill in the gaps that can be observed in the legislation, and also create unified regulatory framework which will guarantee that direct telemedicine services are delivered with the care of ethics, security, and efficiency.